August 6th marks the anniversary of the 1777 Battle of Oriskany. Fought as an American relief column marched to aid the besieged Fort Stanwix, about 800 Tryon County militiamen and 60 allied Oneida warriors under Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer were ambushed by British, Loyalist, and Indigenous forces (including Mohawk and Seneca warriors). [Read more…] about August 6th Marks 1777 Battle of Oriskany Anniversary
Barrimore St. Leger
Fort Ontario During the American Revolutionary War
The American War for Independence (1775–1783) centered the Great Lakes in the middle of international conflict. By the 1770s, as tension between Britain and its American colonies reached a breaking point, Fort Ontario which had been constructed during the French and Indian War (1754-1763), was essentially abandoned.
It was located on Native land as defined by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the boundary line established by the subsequent 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix. [Read more…] about Fort Ontario During the American Revolutionary War
Defending Fort Stanwix: The New York Frontier in the American Revolution
In Defending Fort Stanwix: A Story of the New York Frontier in the American Revolution (Cornell University Press, 2024), William L. Kidder tells the dramatic story of “the fort that never surrendered” and the crucial role it played in the American War for Independence.
After a series of military defeats over the winter of 1776–1777, British military leaders developed a bold plan to gain control of the Hudson River and divide New England from the rest of the colonies. [Read more…] about Defending Fort Stanwix: The New York Frontier in the American Revolution
Albany’s Peter Gansevoort, “The Hero of Stanwix”
Peter Gansevoort Jr. was born into the Dutch aristocracy of Albany to Harman Gansevoort (1712–1801) and Magdalena Douw (1718–1796). His younger brother Leonard Gansevoort, was politically active, serving in the state assembly and senate, as well as the Continental Congress.
Gansevoort is also remembered today as the grandfather of author Herman Melville.
[Read more…] about Albany’s Peter Gansevoort, “The Hero of Stanwix”
Civil War in the Mohawk Valley: The Battle of Oriskany
We think of the Revolutionary War as a conflict between rebellious American colonists and the British Empire. But in the Mohawk Valley it was largely a civil war between neighbors, between siblings, and between fathers and sons, depending on who sided with the Revolutionaries and who with the Royalist cause. [Read more…] about Civil War in the Mohawk Valley: The Battle of Oriskany
Fort Bull – Oneida Carrying Place Archaeology Funded
Fort Bull and the Oneida Carrying Place were important parts of the military and Indigenous landscape that shaped the development of the Upper Mohawk Valley region.
The Oneida Carrying Place, a four-mile overland route that connected the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, was vital to British military campaign strategies beginning with the French and Indian War. The Carry also saw significant action during St. Leger’s American Revolution Campaign (1777), which included the Siege of Fort Stanwix/Schuyler and the Battle of Oriskany. [Read more…] about Fort Bull – Oneida Carrying Place Archaeology Funded
The Battle of Oriskany, One Of The Bloodiest of the Revolution
A significant turning point in the American Revolution, the Battle of Oriskany was fought on August 6th, 1777, and is considered one of the bloodiest battles of the war. [Read more…] about The Battle of Oriskany, One Of The Bloodiest of the Revolution
General Peter Gansevoort’s Map
A sculpture of Brigadier General Peter Gansevoort stands in a city park named in his honor at Rome, Oneida County, NY. This bronze, dedicated November 8, 1906, was created by Emilio F. Piatti. It presents the General in dress uniform grasping his sword and holding what is perhaps one of the most impactful tools (or weapons) ever devised – an accurate map. [Read more…] about General Peter Gansevoort’s Map
The Battle of Oriskany and General Nicholas Herkimer
During the critical Battle of Oriskany in August 1777, Continental forces led by General Nicholas Herkimer defeated the British army under St. Leger in the heart of New York’s Mohawk Valley. It was a hard-won victory, but he and his troops prevented the British from splitting the colonies in two.
In The Battle of Oriskany and General Nicholas Herkimer: Revolution in the Mohawk Valley (History Press, 2013), Paul Boehlert presents a gripping account of the events before, during and after this critical battle. [Read more…] about The Battle of Oriskany and General Nicholas Herkimer